Brother Trouble

Group hunting during first season shotgun, here in Iowa, has always been a big part of my life ever since I started 12 years ago and this year was a very memorable season for my brother and me.

We hunt in a big group and we organize and coordinate deer drives to try and outsmart the big bucks (the big bucks usually win). It is a great group of lifelong friends and it is a great time to use the shotgun to harvest a deer after a long season of using the bow. Each drive that we do, we have laminated aerials of the farm we are hunting and mark where everyone is going, where they are walking to, who will be next to them, and designate areas that we should not shoot in. We always keep in safe and it has been that way for about 30 years with this group.

So, on Monday December 3rd, myself, Corey, and one other guy were walking on the edge of a bean field and timber to get to where we were supposed to be to start the drive. In the process of getting there we kicked up a nice 150’s type buck but never had a shot. The other guy we were with moved out to the open bean field to try and get a shot with no luck. Frustrated, we kept walking and after walking about another 100 yards from about the same place that the 150’s buck was bedded and ran from, a monster jumps up. He is about 60 yards when he first stood up but ran directly in line with a tree before he ran into the open bean field.

So, now Corey and I are standing side by side shooting at a monster buck, running full speed at 80 yards across the open field. We both unloaded our shotguns at him before he disappeared in the next timber about 150 yards from us. We thought we had completely missed and followed the trail to where he went into the timber and saw no blood. Our hearts sank and the hopes of getting a big buck seemed to disappear. However, little did we know, that only 30 yards into the timber, laid our buck.

We jumped for joy, thrilled that we had actually killed this big old 10 point. After the high fives were over we started to look where the buck was hit. Now, the entire time that Corey and I were shooting at him, he was quartering away. We found two holes, about 2 inches apart, directly in front of the hind quarter and went directly through his vitals and hit the opposite front shoulder. Also, in the chaos of firing around 14 shots between the three of us, we shot his G3 off on his right side. We do not know who made that shot.

So, this is where the trouble arises. Who hit the buck? The other guy was shooting at him broadside the entire time so we know it wasn’t him. Did I make both lethal shots? Did Corey? Or did Corey and I both make one well-placed shot and both made lethal shots? We will never know for sure. For now we will say that we both did because we all know that this is just the start of some brotherly trouble and arguments that will come about in the future.

He scored 162 inches and is currently sitting at the taxidermist. Which brings up the next issue…who gets to have the mount in their house? That is yet to be determined…

2 thoughts on “Brother Trouble”

Congrats on that super buck and establishing such a fine life long hunting relationship with you friends.

You may want to consider the following option re. a win-win on this jointly killed buck:
1. WIth an unbiased witness(s) present discuss the matter with your partner and agree that one of the most important things is that you’ll both be satisfied with the outcome.

2. Next, brainstorm, and write down, various options that you both can agree on. (for example- the poor option of one getting the meat the other the antlers and flip a coin. or a better example, Both split the meat and the coin slip winner gets to choose between keeping the original antlers and the other getting a replica-that you each pay a certain percentage to have done. Along with other options you can think of.)

3. Now, with all the options clearly written you each write down on identically sized pc’s of paper what you think the best option is and have your partner write down his best option-but don’t show each other what you wrote. Next, have your witness fold the paper evenly and place the two pc;s of paper in a hat and flip a coin to see who picks the paper out of the hat. The option detailed on the chosen pc of paper is the one you both agree to go with.

I believe this keeps both parties most honest as you really don’t know who will pick the others option, or get the one they wrote down and put in the hat..

Give the above option some thought, discuss it with you parnter(s), and reply back.

Thanks for the great ideas of how to solve this possible issue that my brother and I could have in the future. We both agreed on splitting the cost of the taxidermy work and then rotating the mount each year. This should keep both of us happy and is fair. Now, I just have to kill one bigger to put next to it!